Method

For the chicken meat and broth:

1.

Put the chicken parts into a large stockpot and add just enough water to almost completely cover them. Add the salt, pepper and bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until you can easily separate the chicken meat from the bones, about 30 minutes or so. Remove the chicken from broth and when it's cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones. Discard the bones and skin. Reserve the broth and some of the fat that floats to the top.

For the garnish vegetables:

1.

Place the empty chicken pot back over heat and add a ladle full of the chicken fat on top of the broth. Add the vegetables and sauté them until they softened. Remove the vegetables from the pot and reserve.

For the pot pie base:

1.

Put chicken pot back on burner and add the butter. When it has melted, stir in the flour and continue cooking for a few minutes. Add the reserved chicken broth, one ladle-full at a time stirring constantly. Continue to whisk until it is very thick. Add the cream and sherry and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the frozen peas, reserved chicken and reserved vegetables.

2.

Preheat your oven to 400°F.

3.

For individual servings ladle the mixture into approximately 24 eight-ounce aluminum pie plates and place on baking sheets. Roll the biscuit dough to 1/2 inch thickness and cut out 24-3” rounds. Place a round on each pie. Bake for 30 minutes, until the biscuit tops are golden brown and the chicken is bubbling.

4.

You may also ladle the chicken stew into one or two large baking pans, cover with biscuit dough and bake and serve in bulk.

Pesto and Chive Biscuit Topping:

1.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl then gently whisk in the chives.

2.

In another bowl, whisk together the pesto and cream. Add the wet to the dry and stir just until combined.

3.

Roll out and bake at 450F as you would for any biscuit or use as a topping for chicken pot pie.